The Akashic Records of The Last People as Written by Neko

by Tanya Meeson

Once, in the Time of One Moon, only Luna danced as Earth’s small sister. The land and ocean were separate. The land was dry, the ocean tame. Now in the Time of Two Moons, the land and ocean are no longer separate. The land is no longer dry, the ocean no longer tame.



It is the year of Two Moons 328. I am of The Last People. We are forbidden to make record, but I write in the old language because my mother, the last of The Akashic High Priestess, taught and commanded me so for those of The New World, in the time that is next and for those who do not know.

My mother is dead. Her name is Nela. My name is Neko.



This is not sand. This stays.



⍜°



400 years after Two Moons Cataclysm, Neko, the first-born male and last of the line of The Akashic High Priestess, is tasked with the forbidden: to record the history of The Last People and write a new story so that they can leave their crumbling ocean citadel of Mitpar and cross The Endless Water Plane to The Mountain. But as he writes so he grows bolder, putting himself and the people around him in danger.

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2024

About the author

Tanya Meeson is an author and screenwriter. She’s published two works of fiction, The Akashic Records of The Last People as Written by Neko and The Fulcrum, and two non-fiction books The Dot Spot – Adventures in Love and Sex (2016), and Character Insights for a Regenerative Future, co-authored with Paul Steenkamp (2022).

Reviews

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick thought-provoking history of an Ark-like civilization, established by preppers in the beforetimes to weather a cataclysmic astronomical event. Now, the systems are failing. The population outgrows the space allotted to hold them. The first and last child of the high priestess is male, signalling the end of the Great Mother's unbroken line, and the arrival of the new prophecy.

There were parts of this I enjoyed more in concept than in execution - I loved the idea of a story based on oral tradition but I found the repetition (necessary in passing along stories orally, accurately) tedious to read. But overall, I enjoyed it a ton. The world building was fascinating.

[Helen Van Der Rede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what life on earth is going to be like let's say 400 years hence? The Akashic Records of The Last People as Written by Neko gives you a sneaky peak at what this "new" world could be like. I love that the knowledge and technology we have today is carried into the future. I love that there are still customs that drive "Neko's" people - my personal favourite being drinking a cup of Jack Daniels at The Festival of Release. I love that there is an ending - not without its sorrows - filled with sweet hope. But let's talk about the story...
Neko, son of the last Akashic High Priestess, is forbidden to make a record of life as it is in the year of Two Moons 328, but he must. His mother taught him the old language and commanded him to write for those of the New World. He lives on Mitpar with The Last People who believe their small island to be the last piece of habitable land in a world filled with water. They know there is a mountain jutting out of the sea to the East, but think it barren. Or is it? Time is running out for The Last People as parts for the equipment they rely on to sustain their lives, are used up. It's around this time that Neko discovers he holds the key, literally and figuratively, that could deliver them all to a New World. Now all he has to do is convince them that the impossible is possible.

[Stefan Schutte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Akashic Records of The Last People as Written by Neko does not fall into the genre I typically read. In fact, comparing this work to other titles feels a bit like comparing 2001: A Space Odyssey to other movies from 1968.
Tanya Meeson has taken a brave step with her novella, and she has nailed it. She excelled in everything from world-building to creatively and effectively pushing the envelope of widely accepted grammar rules.
My signed copy takes its rightful place as a treasured item on my bookshelf.

[Sarah Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting and absolutely loved it.

It had all my favourite things
- a really smart story
- characters that I gave a shit about and, the best part...
- the book let me work it out with the narrator. I learned things at the same time he did. This had the bonus of delight and smugness when I got it right, and weirdly even more delight when it wasn't what I expected.

I read a lot of Sci-Fi and there is something special about Sci-Fi written by women. I love Connie Willis' work in particular and this feels a bit like that - there is a stockpiling of plot, emotion and personal context that gets trickled through to the reader.

I can't imagine anyone not loving this book.

[Keely Shinners · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is four hundred years in the future. An asteroid storm has caused a second moon to enter earth's orbit. The tides rise. The Last People are trapped on the volcanic island they call Mitpar the Steadfast. They live in communes and farm, among other crops, soapwort and bee balm. They have cisterns that collect rainwater and desalination tanks that pump from the Endless Water Plain through the bathhouses. Once a year, they drink from a large vat of Jack Daniels in a ceremony called the Festival of Release, although no one can remember who she is. The narrator who describes this to us is Neko, the last descendant of The Akashic High Priestesses. He has inherited a prophecy but, more importantly, he has been taught how to read and write in the ancient language, English, so as to understand it. This is where, for me, Akashic Records deepened the usual science fiction tropes and touched something divine at the base of language. This is not so much a story about a people trying to survive in a hostile environment, but a young man who discovers to his utter bewilderment that he is a writer in a world that is hostile to story. "This is strange magic," he writes in the prologue. "I write and by writing I am compelled to write more." What writer cannot relate to this seduction, this possession, this "strange magic"? Or the "recklessness of story," that is, the unique combination of pride and fear that fight in a writer's mind when the line between imagination and reality thins? Or that fire a writer feels within when a word has to come out, which Meeson puts so beautifully: "They spoke of walking and the dangers and the floating leaves children like to play with in the waterways they spoke and spoke and did not ask me more, but the more they spoke amongst themselves the more !!!excited!!! they became and then I became so excited that I was filled with a word to give them, a word they did not know but needed, a word that was what they were trying to create with a new story about the leaves on the water though they were not practised because they were not allowed to make new things. But I knew! I had read it once in my dictionary. I felt the fire energy rise in my belly I felt my face go hot and my ears burn and my hands tingle and the hairs on my body rise and my voice came loud and strong as the word burst from me shouting: boat!!!" In context, this word that arises is practical, but in its essence, the word could be anything. It is the writer's gift and burden: to give the world a word they did not know but needed.

[Debi Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

400 years from now is a bloody long time. Will people still exist, will they emote like we do, and have our primal needs and desires? Will they still communicate with words; written or spoken? And therein lies this tale. Neko is recording his people's experiences and thoughts in the written word, which has been outlawed and in a language no longer used - our language. He's doing it so he can write their new story; the one where they leave their disintegrating ocean citadel and cross the sea to a new home.
This is where I admit to not being a fan of speculative fiction or even SciFi. But this turned out to be moving, immersive and more human than I imagined this genre could be.
I found the whole look and feel of the cover, the unusual spacing, syntax and grammar so appealing. The world-building was cinematic. This is a sneaky little speculative fiction novella that crept into my (realistic) fiction heart. I highly recommend it.

[Jason Norwood-young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella has everything I love - nested narrative, an unreliable narrator whose language develops through the story (ala Flowers for Algernon), great world-building (reminiscent of The Fifth Season), and some good, hard sci-fi.

The story is told through the unreliable narrator Neko – unreliable not just for his emotional first-person perspective, but also because he is writing in a world where writing is outlawed, having learnt from his mother who has recently passed away. Writing – its permanence, its purpose, its fragility – is a notable theme in the book, so structuring the narrative around the medium adds an unexpected and delightful layer to this book.

The writing is used to pass on a secret held by the priestesses of an isolated island – the last bastion of mankind after a series of catastrophes (both man-made and natural) have all but wiped out the human race. Neko's writing unveils the secrets of the world to both us and him, while he also deals with his personal growth, challenges, loves and disasters through his diaries: the story of Neko, his people and humanity intermingling.

Neko is intricately human and relatable. His reactions are much truer to how someone would respond to loss than most sci-fi, where they'd just brush off trauma like some kind of American action flick. I think we’re seeing more and more of this human realism in sci-fi, thanks to the slow but steady increase of representation of female and non-white writers in a very male, white-dominated genre, breathing new life into the genre.

I'd suggest buying the physical book – the experience of reading it on a digital device wasn't as good as it could be, as the spacing and margins are used to tell the story too. I had a much better time when I switched from justified to ragged-right.

I honestly think this is an instant classic. I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t get traction and a bunch of awards.

[Lara Dunwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story won me over with its lilting lyrical oral-tradition-inspired language - getting to know Neko and the world he lives in is in part getting to know what's possible when language speaks or stays silent. Imagining a custodian of Stories themselves is a bold thread sewing this book together. History and future are connected by stories. What is not imagined, cannot be. And in this case, what has been, cannot be imagined by anyone other than Neko. All of these ideas wrapped up with some circularity, repetition, modern and ancient concerns - I am not doing it justice. Read this book. I couldn't put it down.

[Marius Plessis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. The narrator, Neko, is a teenager grappling with the weight of responsibility in a world ruined by climate change.

Meeson delivers an epistolary tale that taps every syllable for meaning. Reminiscent of Piranesi in terms of its protagonist and a world that the reader doesn’t fully understand, this is ultimately a fable of sorts, warning us against our own folly while gently reminding us that we have the capacity for good and for growth.

This will be something I return to; there is a lot to mine from this slender jewel. Five stars!

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book and I loved it So Much. Officially now one of my favourite books.
I was absorbed and moved from the moment I started reading. I was THERE with Neko… it all felt so real!
Told concisely and in an honest, unpretentious style, it is a smooth read with a great flow. A clever story, very cleverly put together. I loved it loved it loved it and want to read it again. To me, it feels like a ‘modern classic’… “for the time that is next and those who do not know” :)

[Melissa Attree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The account of the records of life on Mitpar were absorbing and highly detailed. The records paint a picture of the daily details and the science of surviving and thriving in a different time. The plot that develops around Neko's journey is truly gripping, I felt as if we were exploring and learning together. I finished this fascinating glimpse of the future and thought 'Wow, can you believe this happened!' :) it was that immersive.
A really great read.

[Sherry Japha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happiness: science fiction with soul.

I thought this story was beautiful, elegant and full of feeling.
Neko’s humanity, his struggles with self belief and his journey to adulthood felt so real.
The little references that connected Neko’s reality to mine felt like sweet nuggets of treasure (you will see what I mean when they pop up)
I loved the story’s cadence, a poetic nod to the histories of people that were held in the spoken word.

What more can I say ! It was clever and so engaging, I loved every minute of it !!

[Petronella Stander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started, I couldn't put it down! This story is so otherworldly, yet hits very close to home. Thought-provoking and captivating. To me, Neko's journey highlights something so relatable and timeless: the simultaneous fear and primal curiosity of the unknown. Eagerly keeping an eye out for more from this author.

[Gail Schoeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale that drew me in, tightening it's grip on my curiosity, keeping me guessing till the end. Moving, compelling, and endearing, I cheered and lamented as I followed Neko through his unfolding story. A beautiful read.

[Tom Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicate and deft novella, upending traditional end-of-the-world narratives to remind us of the original meaning of “apocalypse”: revealing something that was hidden.

[Louisa Theart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very imaginative story with so much heart. Neko will stay with me for a long time. Very much worth a read.

[Angelique Meeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there was an apocalypse and this was the only book that survived It would make a brilliant account of how things were before.

Beautifully written!

[Jenny Barenbrug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved it! And it has stayed with me - definitely worth a re-read!

[Foppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly the most beautiful book I read to myself. Just open the book and listen

[Meg Orton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Tanya Meeson kindly sent me a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.

The Akashic Records of The Last People as Written By Neko is a novella by Tanya Meeson, the author of The Fulcrum, an epic novel Set in 2022.

This is the story of a 14-year-old boy named Neko, the son of the late Akashic High Priestess Nela. It was Nela's duty to write and record the story of The Last People, and now it is her son's turn. Neko is the only member of the Last People who can read and write, and his responsibilities are therefore a lot - especially for a teenage boy experiencing doubt, and struggling with hormones.

The Last People live on a landmass called Mitpar, the steadfast, which is surrounded by water - the "Endless Water Plain". After a catastrophic event led to two moons appearing in the sky, the Last People became the remaining survivors of Earth, and those who lived before the "Two Moons Cataclysm" became known as The Ancients.

For almost 400 years the Last People have been living on Mitpar - a self-sustaining home to a population that is growing too large for their resources to last. Neko's destiny is to save the Last People but he is terrified of the unknown. Through his readings, he has learned of a place called The Mountain, and he believes that it is his people's salvation.

A tragedy prevents Neko from fulfilling his destiny, and somehow if he wants the Last People to survive he is going to have to find the courage to dive into the unknown and seek a new home for those who rely on him.

Through repetition, journal entries, and Neko's inner thoughts the intricate inner workings of Mitpar are revealed. The agriculture (farming, bees, animals, and plants), waste management, etc needed to sustain the isolated community are detailed. The seven laws the Last People abide by to maintain a semblance of order, and the warnings of the Stories of Undoing that keep them from making the same mistakes highlight the novella's greatest themes: climate collapse and man's arrogance.

As with many sci-fi narratives or post-apocalyptic stories, there is an element of forewarning in Neko. A warning that is packaged into a beautiful, tight story of a coming-of-age in an 'age' that could very well be, one day. To prevent this from happening the writings, stories, and teachings of the Ancients must be remembered. The oral tradition remains a steadfast way of recording memories, and the Last People may have a second chance through Neko.

Meeson has written a perfect story. One that could already be received as an 'instant classic'. The type of story that begs to be interpreted, and also to be left in peace, as it is this very over-analysis that is the reason for so many of humanity's afflictions. This intricate and intimate story is beautiful in its simplicity, and at the same time astounding in its details. Meeson's incredible talent at world-building once again comes into play here, and it is through Neko and Mitpar that we will learn to just back and listen, and hopefully learn.